


a hard bargain

by Hyacinthus



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: M/M, Wrestlemania 31
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-14
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-06-02 06:37:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6555607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyacinthus/pseuds/Hyacinthus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seth needs a favor from his old friend, Luke Harper. Luke agrees, if Seth does something for him in return.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a hard bargain

Seth _hated_ scouring backstage to find where the Wyatts set up their creepy little camp. But it was the only way he could keep in contact with Luke, and being in contact with Luke had proved advantageous in the past.

Seth walked past locker rooms, past Vince’s temporary office, checking all the closets and unoccupied rooms on his way. He wasn’t surprised when a check of the entire ground level yielded no results, and got a worker to direct him to the lower levels.

The Wyatts were in the ring, in a match with Show and Kane, and Seth wanted to find their hideout before they got back. After a few minutes of poking around, the boiler room finally saw his perseverance rewarded: there were the Wyatts’ jackets, the smell of sulfur in the air that hung around them.

Seth hopped up on a nearby container and took out his phone to scroll through it, waiting for the Wyatts.

Fifteen minutes and one round-up of his twitter feed later, Seth heard a low voice from the door.

“Rollins.”

Seth looked up and smiled; exactly the person he wanted to talk to. “Luke! Hey, man. How’ve you been doing? Beard’s looking good.”

“Why are you here?” Luke’s arms were folded across his chest, and he walked slowly towards Seth, crowding him in.

“Woah, hey, I just want to talk, alright? I come in peace and all of that. Just checking up on you, survivors of Jimmy Jacobs’ little club, right?”

That made Luke back off a little, and Seth took the opportunity to stand, slipping his phone in his pocket. Luke looked at him, tilting his head in that way of his, waiting for Seth to finish.

“Jimmy’s doing good, way less cult-y - though I guess that wouldn’t be good in your book, huh - look, I need a favor.”

“A favor.” Well, Luke hadn’t tossed him out by his hair yet - might as well keep going. Seth knew you didn’t become the future of WWE by backing down in the face of backwoods cult members, even if they were really large.

“You’re in that ladder match with Ambrose at Mania. I need you to take him out for me.”

Luke laughed, baring his teeth. “I’m not going to handle Ambrose. He’s your problem. Go on, get out, Seth. Run back to your daddy like the dog you are.”

“No - listen, Luke, alright?” Luke’s eyes narrowed, and Seth knew he needed to talk fast.

“I want to cash in at Mania. I’d be the World Heavyweight Champion. Me. I just need him out of the picture. We were friends once, you can work with me on this, right? Bray doesn’t like Reigns, and he doesn’t like Lesnar, and I can get your family in good with the Authority.”

Luke visibly considered Seth’s offer, his eyes darting around his face. Seth waited, holding his breath, an act he would never admit to.

“No.”

Seth’s air hissed out from between his teeth. He knew Luke would be difficult, but having Triple H’s ear for the Wyatts was a good offer. “Come on, man. It’s a nice deal. I can set up matches for you, Bray can go after whoever he wants - work with me, here.”

Luke shook his head. “Bray doesn’t care for your Authority. Bray has power beyond them, given to him by things beyond your imagination.”

It was quiet for a moment, and Seth was about to throw his hands up and go, he had a match, his phone was lighting up with texts - but as he was shifting, getting ready to move, Luke spoke again.

“I’ll do it.”

Seth turned to look at his face again, trying to read Luke’s expression through the beard and curtain of hair. “Awesome! Knew you’d see things my way, you won’t regret -”

“On my terms.”

Oh, of course. There was a but. Luke’s terms. Whatever, anything he wanted couldn’t be too bad, right? If Seth got the belt at the end of Mania anything would be worth it. He nodded at Luke, signaling him to continue.

“You win the belt. And when you win it, you bring it to me, and you spend the night with us.”

Seth swallowed hard. He’d sucked enough dick to get where he was, but the idea of spending the night with the Wyatts (just Luke? Bray? The entire family?) was - the _belt_. The title. The WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Seth squeezed his eyes shut for a second. He’d made his deal with the devil when he shook Triple H’s hand. What was one more?

“Okay.”

 

\------

 

Luke was good on his word. Seth watched Ambrose get powerbombed through a ladder, and felt a heady rush of satisfaction. “Come back from that, Dean,” he whispered. “I told you you were nothing without me.”

Seth’s match with Randy was next - Randy had been a thorn in his side, working against him, and Seth was tired of his attitude. He was the future, not Randy, and he would show the viper who the Authority’s trust should be in.

He got Randy on his hands and knees, and saw his moment - went for the curbstomp, jumped up, intending on putting Randy’s smug face right through the damn mat - only for Randy to move, and Seth was already in motion, nowhere to go - and he came down into an RKO, was slammed down onto the mat and couldn’t move, felt himself being turned over, his mind screaming at him to kick out - and the ref’s hand hit three.

_Fuck_.

Seth trudged to the back - fucking Randy, who did he think he was - but blew his air out through his nose, trying to calm himself. Randy didn’t matter. Randy wouldn’t matter when he got his hands on the belt, which he would. That briefcase, leaning against his calf, was his key to the kingdom.

By the time the main event rolled around, Seth was amped up, his leg bouncing up and down doubletime. He was in his ring gear, his hair freshly wet, watching the match like a hawk. Waiting for his chance, willing neither of them to pin the other.

It came when both Roman and Brock were down, and Seth rushed out from gorilla like a bat out of hell, clutching the briefcase in his hand. He slid into the ring, yelling at the ref, cash it in _right now_ \- and he gave a cry when he heard the ringing of the bell. The belt was _his_.

Seth kicked Roman out of the ring and turned his attention to Brock, sizing up the beast. Brock was weakened, and if he could hit the curbstomp - Seth chose his angle, driving Brock’s neck into the canvas. That should have been it, would have been it with anyone else, but Brock was inhuman. Seth prepped for another curbstomp, ready to pin Brock after, but felt himself being picked out of the air, and he was flailing in Brock’s grasp, trying to escape.

The sheer force of Roman’s spear knocked him off Brock’s shoulders, sent Brock out of the ring, and it was Seth and Roman, Roman breathing heavily, beat up after his slugfest with Brock. Seth was fresh, he was ready, he was _better_ \- he hit Roman with the curbstomp, wanted to cheer when he felt Roman’s face hit the mat, but there was no time for anything but action. He rolled Roman over, pinning him down, and heard the ref’s count in his ears - _one. two. three._

The events after were a fog, nothing really hit him until Seth was standing at the front of the ramp, the pop of fireworks loud in his ears. Holding the belt, his belt, _his title_ , up in the air - this was all for him. He had done this. He’d won.

Seth let the crowd’s cheers rush over him, thought about the praise he’d get from the Authority, how he’d treat himself, and didn’t think about the slip of paper Luke had given him earlier, written messily, just a room number and _we’re waiting._

 

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [tumblr.](https://wwwe.praetorian-guard.tumblr.com)


End file.
